Ever since I did a valve job on my bike, I've noticed a strange bucking (is the best way I can describe it) basically a loss of power sluggishness that feels like I'm running out of gas. If I give it a little more throttle (more than a third) it runs normally.
I'm wondering if this is an effect of my exhaust valve having too much clearance to the shim and how bad this is for the engine. Also my bike is leaking oil from like three different places so I'm just kinda waiting for it to die and then swap in a new one so it could also be one of those leaks too.
In hindsight, this question seems rather pointless...
Quote from: vsboxerboy on April 28, 2007, 09:57:52 AM
Ever since I did a valve job on my bike, I've noticed a strange bucking (is the best way I can describe it) basically a loss of power sluggishness that feels like I'm running out of gas. If I give it a little more throttle (more than a third) it runs normally.
I'm wondering if this is an effect of my exhaust valve having too much clearance to the shim and how bad this is for the engine. Also my bike is leaking oil from like three different places so I'm just kinda waiting for it to die and then swap in a new one so it could also be one of those leaks too.
In hindsight, this question seems rather pointless...
If the clearance is not waaay out, I don't think it's the exhaust valve. Could be the needle jet.... :dunno_white:.
6f
Hurm, well yeah I did open up one of the carb bowls just checking around for rust. I guess I'll have to take another look to see if I nudged anything out of place. Thanks!
Have you balanced your carbs yet?
Should ALWAYS balance the carbs after doing a valve job.
Did my valves over the winter. This spring when I went to start the bike, it started fine, but did not respond well (hesitated) to throttle, or just died until it had been idling for at least 10 mins... In the fall, before I put it away (heated garage, fogged cylanders, changed oil, etc.) it started hard, but, once started, ran fine.
Balanced the carbs last weekend. I don't even need to use the choke to start it anymore. Carbs were WAYYYYY out of balance. Build yourself that U-tube ballancer that's all over this board (I didn't even go as far as building the one with the aquarium valves, just a stick and a piece of tubing, and some ATF is all I used). And, even though the carbs were way out of balance (liquid in my u-tube moved pretty quickly...) I only had to move the balance screw maybe 1/4 of a turn.
Oh, btw. If you have a 2003, the vacuum ports for the carbs are located in a different spot than previous years. Before 2003 they were on the top caps of the carbs (would be a lot easier to get to). 2003 they put them right on the carb body, right before the engine intake. The right side, that supplies the vacuum for the petcock is a lot bigger than the left side as well. The tubing I bought was a VERY tight fit on the right side, but almost too loose on the left. I also had to remove the choke cable (no tools required) to get to the left side... (My left and right are as if you are sitting on the bike).
Anyway, it's worth balancing the carbs before you freak out and start tearing carbs apart or anything else crazy.
have never balanced the carbs so I have noooooooo idea what kind of condition they are in but this seems like a good direction
[7
Yeah, I pulled the carbs off for easier access both to the valve area and because its a pain in the ass for me to get the airbox back on the carbs without removing them from the engine.
I also reset the mixture screws out 3 turns while i had them off (they were out a little more but i was running rich), so its entirely possible that I'm running a little lean, but i don't think thats the case as she idles perfectly.